Elementary teachers juggle many subjects in their classrooms and are often pressed for time when it comes to social studies. The elementary teachers at Council Bluffs Community School District in Iowa were no exception. The district had created their own social studies curriculum, but faced challenges implementing it in the classroom. Sindy Kafka, a fourth-grade teacher at Council Bluffs, shared her difficulty teaching the curriculum consistently.
“There was a book we could use, but we weren’t really required to use it. It wasn’t part of our classroom day-to-day,” Sindy explained. “Sometimes we would make up what we wanted to do for social studies, and other times we would take stuff out of the book.”
However, the way Sindy taught social studies changed when she became an early adopter of TCI’s Social Studies Alive! program in the 2021-2022 school year. She noticed greater student engagement and improvement in geography and history skills.
Social Studies in 20 Minutes a Day
When Sindy began using TCI’s Social Studies Alive! program, social studies became a daily part of her class. Sindy found that incorporating TCI’s lessons was easy and began adding in 20 minutes a day for “social studies time.”
“It’s really user-friendly for me as a teacher and also for my students. It’s very engaging for the kids. They are learning a lot,” Sindy explained.
Social studies time quickly became a class favorite. Sindy’s students looked forward to the activities in the curriculum and often shared what they learned with their parents.
“They are very engaged with the lessons. They get excited when they hear it’s social studies time,” Sindy shared. “I had parent-teacher conferences the other night and one of the parents said, ‘My kids are coming home and telling me all the things they are learning about in social studies.’ It’s exciting to see that level of engagement over social studies.”
Improve Mapping Skills Through Active Learning
In Social Studies Alive! Regions of Our Country—the program that Sindy’s class uses—students explore different regions across the United States and often practice mapping skills. Since teaching with the program, Sindy noticed that not only are her students excited to learn social studies, but their understanding of geography has improved.
“My students have seen a huge improvement in map skills—not just finding locations on the map but they know how to read it and use the key.” Sindy added, “The maps by far are my favorite TCI tool. The kids love them. They are really engaging…The maps are in the Activity Cards. They are online and in the books.”
The Activity Cards that Sindy mentions are reusable laminated cards that contain vibrant, interactive content, such as large maps, game boards, and manipulatives. The materials in the program are available online as well as in print.
Deepen Historical Understanding
Additionally, Sindy noticed a significant improvement in her students’ appreciation and understanding of history. At times, the program asks students to act as historians and think critically about the past.
“TCI helps teach students history they have never learned about before. It digs into what happened in the past,” Sindy said. “It’s been really nice to teach history in a manner that is appropriate for fourth graders.”
While Sindy was an early implementer of TCI, more teachers in her district will begin using TCI’s programs next year. We look forward to hearing more stories about increased student engagement, improved mapping skills, and a greater appreciation for social studies in classrooms.
